2019 Johannes Zillinger 'Velue' Zweigelt

Region: Niederösterreich < Austria Grapes: ZweigeltVineyard/Cellar Stats: Demeter certified biodynamic + organic farming; 97-year-old vineyard on loess and lime sandstone soils; partial whole cluster fermentation in open vats, with slow and gentle pressing, then fermentation in big open steel vats for 5 days on the skins. The wines are matured for 9 months in old 700L and 500L oak barrels on the lees then bottled unfined/unfiltered with zero added So2; 11.5% ABV; 66 casesWinemaker: Johannes Zillinger Johannes Zillinger learned early on from his father about the importance of organic winemaking, about viewing the vineyard as a habitat and protecting the environment instead of poisoning it. His father Hans turned to organic viticulture in 1983, two years before the Austrian Anti-freeze Scandal, and was one of its pioneers in Austria.  When Johannes took over the 350-year-old winery in 2013, he transitioned to biodynamic farming in a big way -- he even grows his own herbs for tea tinc